Did Obama Meet Your 2008 Expectations?

As Obama's term comes to an end, I figured this is a good time to ask this to everyone. What were your thoughts on Barack Obama back then compared to now? I know he still has some time left, but I figured now is as good of time as ever. Think back to what you thought in 2008.Did his presidency turn out the way you expected?

For me, he met my expectations as president. I didn't expect the country to get better, and it didn't. I knew what Obama's voting record as a senator. He voted to reinstate the patriot act, he supported warrentless wire tapping, he supported the bank bailouts, had a very aggressive foreign policy similar to Dubya, and voted with the establishment much of the time.

When he launched his campaign, he was unknown to a lot of people. He would not have gone anywhere without the hype perpetuated by the media; he was the ideal puppet. People wanted someone new and unique, and Obama fit that fake image like a glove. I predicted a lot of people would be deceived, but I cannot say I predicted everything that happened. Now as as this term wraps up, we are left with a debt twice the size Dubya left us, a healthcare policy written for the insurance companies by the insurance companies, an even bigger mess in the Middle East, more NSA spying on all citizens, TSA sexually molesting airport travelers and taking naked photos, and on and on.

Did his presidency meet your expectations?

 

I think we've already had one thread on this topic, but my answer would be HELL NO.

 

I'm 2008 I was still voting republican, and I was convinced that he would tear this country to the ground. I had a lot of fear.

Some of the worst legislation to ever exist in this country was signed into law by Obama. For which he and many others should have been charged with treason. The NDAA alone puts him in the bottom as far as presidents go. However, we're still here and the world hasn't fallen apart.

So to answer the question, he hasn't been as bad as I thought her be. But still one of the worst we've had

 

Yes, I knew from the beginning he was a shill, groomed for his role since at least 1980 when he met Zbigniew Brzezinski at Columbia University. But I have known for a long time that every election year politicians say everything people want to hear, only to turn their back on all the things they had promised when they were running once they're in office. I told people that Obama would carry out the same agenda as Bush, but to an even greater extreme. And I was right. So yes, Obama has met my expectations quite well. He's a typical establishment politician like every politician who gets to the office of President. Obama presented himself to the world as the voice of change, and like I said would be the case, we only got more of the same.

I remember the first time they rolled Obama out in a big way was during the 2004 Democratic National Convention, where he gave a speech. I said back then that I had a feeling they would be putting him up to run in the next election.

 

Didn't have any expectations...

 

Eight years ago, I was worried that Obama might have too much of a college professor's personality to be a strong leader, but the reality turned out to be much worse than my worst case scenario. At times, he's functioned at the Jimmy Carter level of weakness. So many times, he's wimped out in negotiations and made me yell at my TV set, "NO, stand up to these people! Do your fucking job!!!"

 

Obama kills children with drones.

 

Just like I said it 2008 ill say it again, fuck obama!!!!!

A real man by the name of Donald Trump will be taking over later this year.

 

On the other hand, at no time has he done anything that made me wish that McCain and Palin were in office.

 

A planet where the youngest person in my office is a tougher negotiator than Obama.

 

I was very glad it was him rather than McCain/Palin but really I wasn’t really expecting that much given the dysfunctional state of US politics today. The one charge I would level at the administration (it is a team it’s not just him) was its naivety; they really thought they could work with the Republicans to bring about necessary change and the Republicans would work with them. And their belief in this meant their compromises seemed in retrospect foolhardy and weak, and it lead to failing.

But MeAgain is right the admin did achieve a lot especially stopping the US from sliding into a depression.

 

I didn't have much solid expectations so it can be said he even exceeded them. Also looking at the president simply as the face of the US government (how accurate that may be in reality or not ) he is just very competent imo, he usually sounds pragmatic and empathic and not in a way you think yeah that's just how they write those speeches In that regard both the US and the rest of the world can be happy to have had him in that position. It is 100% certain that will go downhill with the next president. Of course looks and know how to talk and come across sympathetically are not everything.

 

Can I ask a couple of things –


For those on the right – was there anything that Obama’s Admin did that you could back?


For those on the left – what was it that they didn’t do that you think they should have.

 

1. Single payer healthcare plan. Obama gave that away to please Republicans, and they were not pleased.
2. End the budget sequester that's kept some National Park Service facilities closed for years, and delayed essential repairs and maintenance.
3. Tax increases on the wealthy.
4. Additional military budget cuts.
5. Overturning at the federal level all the increasing state level abortion rights limitations.
6. Take harsher positions with Iran, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia.
7. Index the minimum wage to a formula based on inflation.
8. Take gay rights and other minority rights out of the hands of state governments.
9. Extend the Voting Rights Act.
10. Get the international global warming agreement ratified.

I'd love to have seen a constitutional amendment on campaign finance reform, but that seems like an unrealistic goal in this political climate.

I'm sure I've left out several things, but these came to mind right away.

 

I've heard the term "Uncle Tom" used more since 2008 than I did in the entire 60s or 70s or even 80s. And it was slapped onto anyone who was black and asked any sort of question about Obama that called for a REAL answer. Watching Obama wax the "Clinton Machine" with the Chicago race card was also disappointing and unnecessary. He could have beaten her cleanly. But US politics is like that these days. It's not just about winning, but about crushing and ruining your opponent. Establishment democrats still supported the Clintons which is why so little was accomplished while Obama had both houses. Sure, the republicans obstructed all kinds of things till they were paid off, but so did a LOT of democrats (Landrieu for one).

I actually thought we were at a turning point in the US and in a way we were. From the perspective of age I am watching the race shit get worse and worse. Not only is there a klansman around every corner (laughable when you consider who represents "The KKK" these days), there's a murdering Christian waiting to happen at every Chik Fil-a and of course the real horrors are to be had at the hands of all those "Old White Men" in America. It has been very depressing to watch US social issues go so far out of whack. In many ways we have slid back the equivalent of my life span. I won't lay that all at Obama's feet, but I will say that he was certainly a lightning rod for a variety of different ideas about empowerment.

It's too bad so many were hateful and violent. I can't get over how hate has become so normal. Even "respected" as long as you hate the right people!

 

I was really disappointed in the affordable care act. Like Karen mentioned, he conceded too much. The affordable care act puts a band aid on a few scratches and scrapes but ignores the overall festering wound that is our healthcare system

Actually i think overall it makes it a little worse. More people have access to healthcare now, that would be all great and dandy if people werent paying premiums for a service they cant afford to use due to high deductibles. And it took an already profit motivated system in an industry that should absolutely not be for profit, and cemented its for profit status by mandating the profit.

 

I was at the local cannabis shop and was disappointed to learn there's a strain called Obama Kush. But whatever, it's just a dumb name and a lot of strains have crappy names.

Obama did not rescue the auto industry. Government Motors has not been the top auto maker in the world since the late '90s, it's actually Toyota. And if you wanna play the "captured bin Laden" card, as far as the military is concerned, you might as well attribute that one on Bush since the US had the same ground forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2001. But in reality, Bin Laden was never actually captured, he died in 2002 most likely from complications of Marfan syndrome. The hunt for Bin Laden was all a wild goose chase that lasted 10 years until they announced his death when they felt the timing was right.

 

I agree that if the american military captured bin Laden it is still not primarily to be credited to the american president. It doesn't make more sense to attribute it to Bush though, just because he was in charge when they started up those operations in those countries.

And when things are not certain why proclaim as if they are certain? It does't make you sound more credible (on the contrary, esp. if you do it too much...). If you think Bin Laden died earlier ok, state that, but you don't know that for certain. Just keeping things real.